Telegram-herald., 1887-07-24
INN.
a simple Tale OF Baokwoods life,

A simple Tale OF Backwoods life.
When Doc first came 20 live with rs
II was ia the early spring. He Was a
pItiiui-looking boy. lie was a little,
pufv-looklng chap, with pale face.
small. bOnv arms. and short, weakly
looking legs, aud rather sickly-look-
ing. flizzled up. straw-cOlOFed hair on
his head There was no personal
beauty about Does face and hgure,
and vet he wss not unusually hard fay-
Ore,l. tie was commonplace. Only
that and nothing more. Only a pea
in a pod where dozen peas of similar
appearance reposed. Only a littls
wife-grass bov, with not one redeem
inr feature about him except MS eyes.
They were only remarkable for the pa
tnetic expression that fingered there.
What litlle hght that ever flashed from
them was Of HAT sorrowful east that
one observes lingering on the western
horizon alter days rain has closed
in a humid sunset.
Doe lost MS mother That was the
tie that bound us 70 him. She was a
commonplace wire-grass woman. but
in her uncultured soul dwelt the same
traits Of maternal love and cherishing
Tenderness, that are'supposed 10 illum-
inc the high-born s0uls-0 0f those grand
danes whose white hands have never
ba.iled against hard and evil fate
for the simple necessities of prolong-
inc existence. She had nourished and
cherished her little boy, a. only a fond
mother can n0urish and cherish weak
and fragile child. Ever on the watch.
she had stood between him and all the
Wild streams of adversely that ragged
about their humble log cabin in the
desolatc barrens.
When she died Doe took it 10 heart
To a greater extent than any of us
thought possible He had been such a
punv. pcevish. pettish sort of boy
that We thought that only his selfish
ness could suffer. We were mistaken.
Doc was older than his age.
Well | remember how mother used
10 toast the crispest bits of brown
cornbread. softened with the fresh,
sweet butter. and how she used TO put
/ iB a big hump of that brown mush
sugar in his coffee, so as TO induce the
little fellow to eat.
You know his ma is dead" she
used 20 say, .'and we must try TO keep
him from missing her in every way we
| can.
And We were learning We were
I being taught the grandest lesson in
human lore-the creed OF unselfsh-
ness.
We could not get him TO join us very
often in any play. lie was too weak.
But when the afternoon sun shone
/ through the riffs in the great pine for
I est be world creep out on the sunny
side with us aud we would adjust our
/ sports 10 his strength. Sometimes he
would look up from his play. and. WITH
( his cNes full OF tears, he would ex-
T claim: MY ma is dead, can't never
see her no more" Then he would sob
4. and moan as If his little heart would
{ break, and I am not ashamed to say
wc would cry too. Might not the
( good Lord take our dear mother. too9'
We asked ourselves.
Ah, nv sainted mother Thy love-
lighted brown ewes have been closed
% earthly scenes for many summers.
T They closed your poor. toil-worn
hands above Your cold. still heart a
long. long time ago. and the tall pines
have shed from their dropping
boughs the purest distilled dews OF
heaven above YOUR lonely grave: and
Z set in my dreams see that face often
and again. and | never accomplish n
Z good deed or am guilty OF a bad one
bu; what yours is the first name that
flashes through my intellect A man
uiav have l4ooO. frisads, even two
weii-beioved wives. bur never but one
motAer. Blessed be that molly name
4 abQfe al earthly treasures most sacred
/ ahf longest cherished.
A the spring days grew warmer and
! the timid wood vioIess peeped forth on
! banks where the sun hagered longest.
oar protege grew nrore robust There
Wa even faint tinge Of blood in his
I pallia cheek ai.er short walk about
ihe plantation.
Deeper Green grew the woodlands.
+ The rugged pines even touched them
( selves up With few gay tufts Of a
softet tint. and from their queer bios
SONS feli showers Of gold dust that
covered the still surfaces Of the water
ponds The trailing jasmine covered
Itself Nth golden bloom. and the
hoaevsucSle aud dogwood blossoms
made The swamps and lowlands radi-
arr with CAV hues aad redolent with
( delicate perfume. Birds sang among
The bursting buds on the erab-sppls
tree. and the blue arch If heaven was
glded with the fine gold Of the life-giv-
I Iue sunlight.
Our sports and pastines would seem
fgnnv - you. We went fishing ui ghts
Z It vas only half a mile - the creek.
+ and Oh a little bluff that overhung the
lark waters we could huild onr camp
fires. AMI then east our crude tackle
/ In she gloomy eddies where the ire
T gh; pisvsd in itftil waves Of light ard
/ shadow Doe lid love 20 fsh We
would dlg a The trash heaps for muck
worms or skin ths pine hogs for saw
vers. and then We would carry his
taekie For him. and wax slow. and
heip hnn acres t8e sioshes. and when
- weaii eatrh = asuiicat We would say
it was a big dne fellow
Dcc wsz net an uaappreciative bov.
! He sang these queer, old-fashione
! ssnGs for as-sonsz which he had asaga